henry theberath



(No Model.)

J.H. THEBERATH.

BELT.

No. 544,328. Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

WITNESSES:

A U lM/EY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY THEBERATH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,3 28, dated August 13, 1895.

Application filed March 25, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HENRY THEBE- RATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belts, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to an improved form of clasp for use with a ribbon or belt having a loop at one end and provided at the other end with a slotted plate to engage a hook upon the clasp. The clasp is intended for use with any belt-ribbon having looped ends, and is adapted to retain the same in place about the waist without chafing or clamping the ribbon injuriously. v

In the present invention the hook-plate of the clasp is provided with two hooks projected inwardly from opposite edges of the plateone at the middle of the edge (termed herein the slot-hook) to engage the slot-plate at one end of the belt and the other (termed the latch-hook herein) at one end of the hookplate to engage a tongue pivoted to the opposite end of the plate so as to turn parallel with the back of the plate. A loop upon the end of the belt may be slipped over the pivoted tongue and the free end of the latter then engaged behind the latch-hook, and the projection of the two hooks inwardly or in opposite directions then enables them to resist the tension at the opposite ends of the belt and to keep the slot-plate and tongue engaged with their respective hooks.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 shows the inner side of the hook-plate and its attachments. Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same; and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the clasp with belt attached, the belt being broken for want of room upon the drawings to show its entire length.

a denotes the hook-plate; Ct, the slot-hook formed of a projection from the middle of one edge bent over toward the opposite edge of the plate.

1) denotes the tongue pivoted by pimp at one end of the plate a and extended to the other end of the plate, where the latch-hook s is formed of a projection upon the edge of. the plate and bent inwardly opposite to Serial No. 543,016. (No model.)

hook a. The tongue is raised above the innor side of the hook-plate (at its pivot) by a washer w, and the hook-plate is made of such width that the tongue is required to swing beneath the hook a to pass over the point of the latch-hook to engage the latter. The hook at is therefore elevated above the inner side of the hook-plate sufficiently to admit the tongue beneath it when the latter is provided with a ribbon-loop, and the slot-plate Z (shown in Fig. 3) is engaged with the hook by its slot Z.

The connection of the ribbon with the parts of the clasp is shown in Fig. 3, where the ends of the ribbon are shown with loops 0, formed by turning over its ends and securing them by lines of stitching 0'.

A buckle for adjusting the length of the belt in the usual way is shown in the slotted plate e, having cross-bars f pivoted thereon by rivets q and extended through one loop of the ribbon. A hook t holds the barf, when adjusted, with the ribbon slipped through a slot Z in the slot-plate Z, as usual.

The tongue I) is bowed outwardly from the plate a, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to clear the latch-hook when released therefrom. The hook-plate a is attached by offsetfeet to the back of a guard 01, (shown curved in Fig. 3,) as is usual, to present an ornamental appearance and hide the operative parts of the clasp. The loops 0 are slipped upon the tongue I) and bar f when the latter are detached from their respective hooks, and the bar I) is then engaged with the latch-hook s by pushing it past the end of the same, thus moving with the ribbon-loop 0 beneath the hook a. When the belt is in use, the slot Z of the slot-plate is applied to the hook a and the tension of the belt ends then holds the slot-plate and the tongue b engaged with their respective hooks.

I am aware that it is common to engage a slot-plate with a hook upon a h0ok-plate in fastening a belt, and to secure or adjust a belt upon a clasp-plate by means of a pivoted tongue; and I do not therefore claim such constructions as my invention.

My construction diifers from others in having the tongue I) hinged to turniparallel with the back of the hook-plate a, and in having two hooks a and s projected inwardly from opposite edges of the plate to resist the tension of the opposite ends of the belt. By making the hook a project farther from the plate than the tongue I) and hook s I am enabled to make the hook-plate very narrrow, and thus more compact and light in construction.

By applying the washer to to the pivot of the tongue I) I can use a straight tongue and thus avoid creasing the ribbon-loop or chafing its edges. The clasp is thus more desirable for use with many belts of different colors, such as are commonly Worn with different dresses, than one in which the ribbon is held by pinching or clamping.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a belt clasp, the combination, with the hook-plate ahaving the forwardly projecting slot-hook a in the middle of its forward edge, of the fiat tongue I) pivoted upon one end of the hook-plate by pin 19, and arranged to turn parallel with the rear side of the plate at a little distance from the same, and the backwardly projecting latch-hook s at the opposite end of the plate, adapted to engage the free end of the tongue, the tongue being held within the hook s by the tension of the belt when applied, and the hooks a and s projecting inwardly from the opposite edges of the plate to resist the tension of the opposite ends of the belt, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a belt clasp, the combination, with the shield plate d, of the clasp-plate a attached thereto by offset feet at its opposite ends, the plate 0!, having the hooks a and s projected in opposite directions, as set forth, the tongue Z) pivoted upon washer to by pin 1) at one end of the plate a, and adapted to turn parallel with the rear surface of the plate, and to engage the hook s as described, and to push beneath the hook a, to disengage from the hook s, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HENRY 'lIlEBERA'lIl.

Witnesses:

C. G. SCH\VARZKOPF, HENRY J. MILLER. 

